Baby Birds

The "wreath finches" as we have decided to call them are growing fast.  Three of the eggs hatched on April 14th and the fourth the next day.  They are at least three times the size they were then.  Mama Bird doesn't stray too long ; I notice she leaves for short periods of time during the day to get food.

They are ravenous in the above photo:).  When Mama is away the babies often are asleep and look similar to one big dust bunny as they snuggle together.  

We felt pretty accomplished getting these photos!  

We are careful not to disturb the family so wait until Mama is away to take a peek.  We are pretty protective of them--since the nest isn't in a tree, our cement steps are a few feet below the wreath nest.  We placed several bath towels on the cement so if someone falls out, hopefully there will be no injury.

Will update as they grow!

Nothing Like Homemade Bread! No Knead Bread

Some years ago, when I was a stay-at-home mom (SAHM for you up-to-date people), I did a fair amount of baking.  With five growing boys and a husband who worked long hours and played sports and stayed generally busy (well, so did I), I cooked and baked a LOT.  I enjoyed it and still do but we only have our 14 year old daughter home now so not making the mass quantities that I did before.  Five boys often came with a friend or two each so there were always cookies, brownies, taco soup, etc. ready to feed the masses.

 

 

Today I want to share a great recipe for no-knead bread.  It was so nice to mix it up in the bowl, let it rise, place in bread pans and it would be ready not too long afterwards.  I would know my bread was "doing it's thing" and I could go on with my day.

Here is the list of ingredients:

2 packages dry yeast 

Add this to large bowl along with 5 cups warm water--allow yeast to dissolve.  If the water is too hot it will kill the yeast!

Add:

 8 tablespoons honey

8 tablespoons shortening

6 teaspoons salt

6 cups flour (all-purpose white or wheat) 

(you will need an additional 6 cups for later step)

Now for the fun part, at least for me:

You can stir it by hand or use a stand mixer.  I recently got a great deal on a Kitchenaid Artisan 5 quart mixer.  I don't know why I didn't do that years ago!  I found my great deal at Kohls.com via bradsdeals.com.  With the great sale price, free shipping, a Kohl's coupon I had, plus Kohl's cash and a rebate I received, I paid less than $200 for my awesome new friend.  If you haven't, check out bradsdeals.com for future deals.  No, I haven't been compensated to lavish such praise--just wanted you to be aware that there are sites out there that can save you money.  Plus, I got to pick from a large variety of colors--I decided on cranberry for my kitchen.

If you don't have a stand mixer, a hand mixer may work just fine or just do as I used to do--a spoon and some elbow grease.  Fire up those muscles!

Beat on high for 3 minutes if using a mixer or until all is mixed in.

Then, mix in another 6 cups of flour.  I actually use 6 cups all-purpose white flour and then 6 cups wheat flour to change things up a bit; you could mix the ratios as you please.  Allow dough to rise--I place it in a warm area of the kitchen and put a dish towel on top of the bowl.

It will look similar to this--just in case you don't know what risen bread dough looks like lol.

Now, grease 2 bread pans and spoon the dough into those.  Again, place the pans in a warm area and cover with a clean dish cloth.  Allow to rise.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake bread for approximately 45 minutes if using regular sized bread pans.  Of course, some ovens vary by temperature so just check to see if  the bread is browning and you can also check the middle with a butter knife or wooden skewer.  When done, remove from oven, place pans on cooling rack and brush with melted butter (for that awesome golden glow).  Remove from pans and allow to continue to cool.

Now to enjoy!  Spread with butter, honey, jam, peanut butter, Nutella, etc.  You know what you like so go for it!  Easy and delicious.  This bread is so great to accompany dinner or have as a snack.

Happy baking!

YOU CAN USE THIS RECIPE FOR ROLLS OR CINNAMON ROLLS BUT THE DOUGH IS FAIRLY STICKY WITH NO KNEADING SO YOU WILL HAVE TO ADD EXTRA FLOUR TO WORK WITH IT!

Miz Helen's Country Cottage

WEDNESDAYS IN THE STUDIO 59

Beautiful "Blue Rose" Echeveria Imbricata.

Love succulents!

Roses in Bloom

As you might have noticed from previous posts, I LOVE warm weather and (most) everything that comes with it.  Being a Southern girl by birth and heart, I relish springtime and summertime!  Sometimes, here in Northern Nevada, it can take a bit longer to warm and green up.  This year was a relatively mild winter but that doesn't stop me from anxiously awaiting warm temperatures and yard work.  Yes, I love to do yard work.  Mowing the lawn is my "thing." I have been the "designated mower" since Larry and I wed all those years ago.  Something about the smell of the grass clippings, seeing my manicured lawn and heck, even the smell of the gasoline from our mower engine.  Hmmm, maybe that explains me.....haha.  However, I do NOT trim the grass edges--no weed eaters or power trimmers for me.  I will get on my hands and knees and use scissors to trim near the fence before I will use one of those pieces of equipment.  I stay as far away as possible while my husband uses a trimmer.  I have been "bit" too many times by those things throwing a small piece of tree bark or whatever.  No thank you.

I am really looking forward to having these bloom in my backyard soon:

Well, I am cheating.  That photo is from last year but it is mine!

Wherever you are, wishing you a pleasant and warm weekend!

Blooms in Bloom

In Northern Nevada, where I (mom) and one of the chicks live, you never know what the weather will bring this time of year.  Today the temperature is in the high 60's and sunny.  Just this past Tuesday, we had snow and rain, both of which we needed.  The drought is real out West, folks!  So far we have not had any water restrictions in our community but we all need to be conservative in our water usage.
Now, for the point of today's post:

My ice plant is blooming!  Quite well, I might add.  Since our winter was very mild my outdoor plants didn't seem to suffer any ill effects.  Of course, I have had tulips and daffodils blooming for the past month and they are beautiful as well.  Seeing how gorgeous and brilliant the colors on the ice plant are was a definite mood-booster for me.

Now, time to put the dogs on a leash, my sneakers on my feet, and enjoy the sun!

Not Much Longer

Seeing as it was a sunny, warm spring day, Mama Bird took the opportunity to take a break.  Hopefully she got a meal and water in, too.  We actually put a bird feeder not far from our front steps and placed bird seed in it, you know, so she won't have to be gone too long.  She is very dedicated and never is gone long, at least from what we see.

Being the ever curious humans that we are, my taller chick, Ali, and her even taller brother peeked in to see if any activity was going on in the nest while Mama Bird was out.  No, not a thing.  Which is good.  Hoping the weather continues to warm up--we just had quite a little snowstorm on Tuesday but all seems well.

Should be fun to hear the little chirps when those babies get here.

More Mama Bird.....

 We haven't given her a name--we just call her "Mama Bird".  We aren't even sure what type of bird she is.  She dutifully spends most of her days and surely all of her nights keeping her four dusty green eggs safe and warm.  She doesn't seem too concerned by our presence when we are in our front yard--just this past Saturday my husband trimmed the lawn edges and I followed with the lawn mower and she steadfastly remained in her abode.

It has been a bit of a change to our daily routine--we don't use the front door these days.  We come and go through the garage and even placed a sign out front asking that visitors do the same.  How long till the eggs hatch remains to be seen but one thing is for sure--our family is eager to see what comes next for Mama Bird and her brood.

Easter Egg Art

Easter, as most of you know, is tomorrow.  Which means many of us (or at least our kids) decorated or dyed Easter eggs today.  I have been doing that for more years than I care to admit.  I have been doing it with children for over 3 decades now!  Since my youngest "chick" is in high school, we still have egg coloring to do.  This year was a little different though.  Yesterday while shopping at Walmart, I came across plain foam eggs in assorted colors--blue, pink, yellow, green and white.  I bought one for Ali Rose--she picked pink and a white one for my older son Eric who has been staying with us.  He is the photographer of our bird posts.  Eric is also quite artistic and always has been.  While I didn't think to take a photo of the plain eggs, here is the end result of Eric's efforts with a foam egg, Sharpies and talent:

 

 

Pretty good, eh?  I think this one is a keeper!

 

 

Ali designed her egg to look almost like yarn--lots of colors here!

 

 

So this year, if you get a chance to go shopping the day or two after Easter, you might want to pick up a few of these foam eggs for next year.  Next year we might even try decoupage with these eggs.  I like to send my kids off to adulthood with a few holiday decorations from their childhood or keepsakes from our family.

Have a wonderful, blessed Easter!

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TUESDAYS WITH A TWIST 672

Spring Time Nails

One of our favorite things to do is our nails.  Ever since Ali and I were little my Mom has done our nails.  Now that I'm out of the house, it's my turn to learn and be creative.  As Spring has arrived, I found it necessary to do bright colors and to, of course, add flowers!

I chose to use pink, green (almost the color of a dark emerald), orange, and white.  You will also want clear polish to give it that top coat to help it last longer and a dotting tool to dot your nails.  If you don't have a dotting tool, you can use a sewing pin and insert into the eraser of a pencil.

After you have chosen your colors, paint your nails as you always do, making one of your fingers the accent nail (the nail that is a different color.)  To make the flowers, you will take the polish you want to use as well as the white polish and put it on some paper or a plate or whatever works for you.  Take the big end of the dotting tool or grab your sewing pin tool, dab it in the white polish and center it on your nail and put the dot!  That simple.  Repeat the same thing with the color you want your flower to be and do five dots around the white dot.  It's the same process for the dots I put going off the flower, only the dots are smaller.  You should get something like this:

Have fun!

Remember our post earlier in the week?  A mother 

bird had found my spring wreath I had placed near the front door.

She apparently felt it would be a safe and cozy place to build her

nest and raise some babies.  Here is the wreath with the nest:

You can probably see the petite egg that she had already laid there.

She has since laid 2 more in there as well.  

Busy lady, she  is.

My son snapped these photos of her when she flew into our trees for a break 

or to search for food.  Her job is to protect those eggs and bring them to life

so I am sure that is a hunger-causing activity.

She isn't very big herself and we hope she is warm as the nights are still

plenty cool.  We can hear her each morning singing away, little chirps and notes

floating into our home.  Such sweet sounds.  Such a happy mama bird.  Praying

things go well for her and her little ones.

Baby on the way

 A new development in our wreath nest-an egg was found in the nest today.

The mother bird flew off today and that gave us the opportunity to take a peek.
She flew back not long afterwards and was snuggled on top of the nest at dusk.
Stay tuned for future updates.